If you like people, can assist them with personal care, and are interested in healthcare, consider working as a home health aide. As a career, it can be fulfilling, moving, fun, and rewarding. However, it also offers growth opportunities, and when combined with the right training it can start a student on a path into a position such as a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
At Prism Career Institute, we offer programs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that can prepare you to work as a Practical Nurse, as well as other healthcare-oriented careers. Here, we discuss the advantages this profession can provide.
What Is a Home Health Aide?
Home health aides assist people with personal care and the tasks of daily living. Clients may be elderly, chronically ill, disabled, or recovering from injuries. Depending on the client’s needs, home health aides may help with bathing and dressing, organizing medical appointments, and accompanying the patient to social or community events. They may also do the shopping and cooking. Home health aides often monitor basic vital signs and help make sure clients are taking their medications on time.
Supervised by medical professionals, such as nurses, doctors, or others, home health aides help with medical record keeping. They can also bring forward important information about the health and condition of the client, which assists with improving their care.
Those currently in a home health aide career have the opportunity to learn many processes that LPNs complete. This makes it easy for home health aides to move into the field. Home health aides can launch into important roles as LPNs by completing the right schooling and earning the necessary certifications.
Why Are Home Health Aides in Demand?
Home health aides are in high demand in part due to current U.S. demographics. The population is aging, so more people require help with personal care. As baby boomers retire from the workforce, they are creating job openings. Eventually, these retiring workers may well need the services of home health aides for their own care.
In addition to these demographic factors, innovations in healthcare help prolong the average lifespan. And advanced technologies, along with personal assistance, can help disabled or chronically ill people engage with more active lifestyles. Nursing is also a high-demand career in the healthcare industry, meaning home health aides can find jobs even after becoming LPNs.
Explore Career Options With Prism Career Institute Programs
The programs at Prism Career Institute offer multiple options for working students. Offered at all three campus locations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and West Atlantic City, New Jersey, students can find a program at a convenient location. Our programs are designed to provide basic skills and knowledge relatively quickly so our students can proceed with gaining experience and building their careers.
Because we offer programs for both daytime and evening students, our programs accommodate work and family schedules. The Practical Nursing and Medical Assistant programs are ideal for students who work as home health aides wanting to further their a career. Depending on available jobs and their requirements, some students may be able to keep working as home health aides while finishing their program.
In both programs, students learn about taking vital signs and providing basic personal comfort in a medical setting. They are also introduced to medical records and the responsibilities of accurately recording patient data. Experience as a home health aide pertains directly to the program of study, which is attractive to future employers.
Advantages of Working as a Home Health Aide
Home health aide roles are ideal for busy people. A home health aide’s work schedule can be flexible, which is especially beneficial for those juggling family and school schedules. Many clients require evening and night shifts, for example. Nursing homes and senior homes often have around-the-clock staff on site. If you care for clients in their homes, they may need someone to stay overnight with them.
As students and graduates explore the home health aide field, they may find areas of specialization that appeal to them. This type of discovery can lead to further education and certification. All in all, the work of a home health aide can be very satisfying, as it encompasses the most basic human-to-human interaction and care. If you are interested in pursuing a healthcare career, this type of experience is valuable and can serve as a stepping stone to other roles, like an LPN.
Choose Prism Career Institute for Healthcare Career Education
It’s exciting to attend classes with others who are interested in healthcare careers. Whether you choose to enroll in the Practical Nursing or Medical Assistant programs, you will learn fundamental skills for healthcare jobs. We partner with our local business communities for networking opportunities. Our overall goal is to prepare students with quality healthcare educational programs so they can go on to make meaningful contributions to health and well-being.
At Prism Career Institute, financial aid is available to eligible students, and our staff is ready to help you apply. We also offer career services for graduates to help them find the right job opportunities, including as home health aides and LPNs. For more information about Prism Career Institute, contact us today.